NYC's Best Activities, Things To Do When It Rains
When it rains, there are millions of things to do and places to go. Here is just a short list of some of the best activities for a dreary day in the Big Apple.
Spa Castle
131-10 11 Avenue
College Point, NY
Spa Castle. Just speaking the name of this uber-spa in Queens lowers our heart rate. As you enter, you'll breath purified air, remove your shoes and let your cares fall away. Among the treatments offered are facials, full-body exfoliation, body massages and hydrotherapy foot massages. You can also enjoy some "rain" beneath an indoor waterfall, designed to work out kinks in your body; sip a drink while getting gently pummeled by the aqua-jets in the indoor pool, or simply sweat it all out in one of several saunas -- including a color therapy room and a Himalayan salt zone.
The Cliffs at LIC
11-11 44th Drive
Long Island City, NY 11101
Don't let the rain stop you from seeing how high you can climb at The Cliffs at Long Island City. One of the largest indoor rock climbing facilities in New York City, thrill seekers can unleash their built up energy while climbing up to 50 feet. With a day pass, guest can take advantage of their gym and learn the various styles of climbing, including boulder and top rope.
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Chelsea Piers
62 Chelsea Piers
New York, NY 10011
(212) 336-6000
Chelsea Piers is a massive sports complex on three piers along the Hudson River. Here you can hit the year-round driving range, sending your shots practically into the water, or perfect your puts on special FieldTurf. You can also take a tumble or practice your handstands, play hockey, adjust your swing in the batting cage, bounce on a trampoline, or do some parkour. You can bowl, climb, shoot hoops, dance, row, plié, bike, lift weights, wrestle, swim, run, or ice skate. You can work on your volleyball serve, or your right hook, or your core. In other words, this is an athlete's paradise.
More: Best Batting Cages In NYC
Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club
514 Union Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(347) 223-4410
The tagline at this bar in Brooklyn just might go something like this: shuffleboard—it's not just for Nana and Papa. Royal Palms seeks to introduce a whole new generation of players to this game at its 17,000-square-foot, vintage Florida-themed emporium. Everyone gets a free lesson, and your server can help advise on positioning and plays, so no worries about not knowing your cue-stick from your disk. When you need a break from playing, you can hang out at one of the two bars, listen to the live DJs, or nosh at one of the on-site food trucks.
More: Best Bars With Games In NYC
The St. Regis New York
2 East 55th Street
New York, NY 10022
Enjoy a day of luxury at The St. Regis New York with their afternoon Tea and Tour package. From the cloud-dappled lobby, to beneath the chandelier-adorned ceilings of its rooftop ballroom, people will learn the about the hotel's interesting history. At the end of the tour, the time-honored tradition of Afternoon Tea and their signature 3-tier spread of sandwiches and treats will be served. Another option to immerse themselves into the hotel is upgrading Afternoon Tea with a choice of one of the three King Cole Bar's historical cocktails.
More: Best Places For Afternoon Tea In NYC
Domenico Vacca
15 West 55th Street
New York, NY 10019
Nothing wipes away those rainy day blues than a little shopping spree. Domenico Vacca delivers that shopping experience and more. The 10-story flagship store located off of Fifth Avenue includes a head-to-toe range of apparel and accessories for both men and women, home goods, a custom suiting and couture atelier, a barber shop, a full-service beauty salon, terrace, art gallery and an Italian espresso bar and café. Whether people are shopping or just there for a an espresso and a shave, it is the ideal place to spend the day.
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Rubin Museum Of Art
150 West 17th Street
New York, NY 10011
Instead of heading to one of the typical museums, people can spend a rainy day at The Rubin Museum of Art in Chelsea. Filled with Himalayan artwork and artifacts, people can discover the wonders of a museum that sometimes slips off their radar. One of the exhibits that people flock to is the Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, which appeals to all the sense through an immersive experience designed for meditation and contemplation.
Panorama at the Queens Museum
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Queens, NY 11368
(718) 592-9700
At roughly 305 square miles, New York City overpowers visitors and residents alike with its sheer size. When the city starts feeling a bit overwhelming, we make for the Queens Museum. Its holdings include Tiffany glass and historical images of the borough, and there are regular exhibitions of fine art, but the Panorama is their prize. Built to scale at 1:1200, this "metropolis in miniature" consists of some 895,000 buildings—and lets you take in the whole of the city almost at a glance. It's a perspective-shifting way to spend the day, for sure.
New York Aquarium
Surf Avenue and West 8th Street
Brooklyn, NY
(718) 265-FISH
You can watch penguins frolic, sea otters play, and walruses get fed; see an interactive show at the Aquatheater; be hypnotized by the fluid movements of the green moray eel; or stare as deep as you dare into the flat eyes of a sand tiger shark or the puppy-dog-like mien of a harbor seal. Take advantage of the aquarium's proximity to Coney Island by punctuating your visit with a swim or a hotdog.
More: NYC Zoo And Aquarium Guide
Chelsea Market
75 9th Avenue
New York, New York
Take a gastronomic tour of the world at Chelsea Market. Shop at Buon Italia for the best homemade ravioli and imported olive oil and linger over cappuccino in their cafe. Try Thai cuisine, shop for rugs at Imports from Marrakesh or take an Australian wine tasting class at the Chelsea Wine Vault.
More: Best Farmers' Markets In NYC
Poets House
10 River Terrace
New York, NY 10282
(212) 431-7920
Libraries and rainy days go together like, well, peanut butter and jelly, or ham and cheese. In other words, they make a pretty ideal combination. Located in a lovely, light-filled space in Lower Manhattan, Poets House boasts some 70,000 volumes of verse, from archaic tomes to more contemporary manifestations. Pull down a book that catches your fancy, curl up in a comfy chair, and read the rain away. In addition to a well-stocked, whimsical children's room (designed for tots aged 4-10), Poets House puts on a rotating array of interesting exhibitions. We once discovered a recipe for coconut cake handwritten by Emily Dickinson.
The Strand
The Strand is the sole survivor of the city's famous Book Row--which once boasted 48 bookstores from Astor Place to Union Square. Today, the offer a visitor 18,000 miles of new, used and rare books. Their staff is probably the most knowledgeable in the city--so if you don't know exactly what you're looking for--chances are they will.